Electric push-button or push-button switch



L. H. JONES.

ELECTRIC PUSH BUTTON 0R PUSH BUTTON SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26. 1916.

Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

LENORA H. JONES, F WICHITA, KANSAS.

To all wkom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LENORA H. JoNEs, a citizen of the United States,residing at -Wichita,county of Sedgwick, and State of Kansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Push-Buttons orPush-Button Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention, which relates to electric push-buttons or push buttonswitches, has

for its object .the provision, first, of a novel expansible andcontractible contact whether movable or stationary and however combinedwith the other electric contact or contacts; second, of said expansiblecontact when stationary. and adapted to be expanded by the pressure'ofthe button so as to spread for the purposes of engaging the othercontact and to contract when the button is released.

My improvements provide for electrical contact being made at a number ofpoints, in a rubbing or scraping fashion, thereby minimizing corrosiondue to sparking and substantially insuring good electrical contact atall. times without possibility of catching or sticking and consequentshort-circuit- The present improvements can be embodied in various formsof push-button switches and are susceptible of modification; hence I donot limit myself to the details hereinafter specified which are to beconsidered as illustrative, rather than restrictive, of the scope of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section of the pushbutton having my improvements, parts being in normal position;

Fig. 2, a similar view, the ball or button being pushed in, means being.provided to keep the circuit closed;

Fig. 3, a plan view, the cap being removed;

Fig. 4, a vertical section of a modlfication, the parts being in' normalposition;

Fig. 5, a cross section on l1ne 55, Fig. 4, the button being pushed inand the contact and shell engaged;

Fig. '6, a detail section of a modification;

Fig. 7, an enlarged detail showing theoperation of the contact spring;

Fig. 8, a plan view of anothermodificaand Specification of LettersPatent.

tion, the expansible contact being removed;

ELECTRIC PUSH-BUTTON 0R7-PUSH-BUTTON SWITCH.

Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

Application filed May 26, 1916. Serial No. 100,026.

Fig.9, a detail side View. of the tubular stationary contact thereof.

Referring first .to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 7, the

invention is there shown embodied in a push-button, 1 being'the base and2 the cap. To the base are ,secured by screws 3 'the semi-circular orarc-shaped metal contacts or terminals 4 to which the circuit-wires 5are connected.

My improve-d expansible and contractible contact 6 is reversible so thateither end may be uppermost to receive the pushbutton, marble, or ball 7that is exposed through the opening in the cap 2. The

contact 6' which is composed of springy or resilient Wire such as Germansilver, for

instance, 'formed intosuccessive narrow closely positioned, coils orloops 5*, is of general tubular and cylindrical form. The inner end ofthe contact 6 is secured or anchored to the base 1 in any preferredmanner intermediate the terminals 4 so that its outer portion can beexpanded against said termmals by pushing in the ball or button 7, butnormally the contraction of the contact 6 causes it to remain free ofsaid terminals. The terminals. ,be'ing arcshaped, preferablysemircirculai'jit is"impossible for the contact 6. to catch on them or.become displaced therefrom. The numerous points of contact (between thecon-- tact 6 and the terminals 4 insure electrical connection being madeat all times by a rubbing or scraping action, so that I thereobviate the,corroding which tends to prevent good electrical contact in pushbuttons or switches which depend on a slngle point of contact foroompletion of the electrical circuit. The. sphere or marble 7 tends toevenly spread the-contact 6 i-adially in all directions and theadaptability of the ball orsphere to turn, coupled with its shape,insures its being pressed back agaanstthe cap 2 when the pressure of thefinger is released. A laterally swinging lever 7 pivoted at 7 (Fig. 2)may be .used to maintain a closed circuitby holding sphere 7 down.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, theinvention' is there shown as embodied ina tubular push button such as 'iscommonly used in press plates, desks,street cars, Pullman cars, automobiles, and other places where it isdesired that the body of the push button or switch shall be sunksubstantially flush with the surface to which it is connected.

The metal shell'or case 8 contains a lin-v ing 9 of fiber or otherinsulating material which may be open at one or more places 10 to exposethe metal surface of the shell. A washer or end piece 11 of insulatedmaterial is fitted in the rear end of the shell and suitably securedthereto in any manner, as by a screw 12. Another screw 13 constitutesthe terminal for one of the circuit wires. The contact 6 is carried by ametal terminal member 14 which is secured to the insulating washer 11,as for instance, by a screw 13, to which the remaining circuit wire maybe connected. The pushbutton may be a sphere, marble or ball or, asshown in Fig. 4, a tapered and shouldered spreading button 17 whosetapered or conical inner end is adapted to expand the contact 6 aspreviously described in connection with the ball or sphere. Thecontraction of the contact 6 serves to keep it out of engagement withthe shell or body 8 at the point or points 10 and also tov hold the pushbuttonor ball pressed outwardly. The insulating lining 9 serves to-insulate remaining portions of the contact 6 from the shell. When,however, the push button or ball is pressed in, the expansion of thecontact 6 causes a portion thereof to engage the metal body or shell atthe exp tions 10, thus completing the electrical circuit.

Referring to Fig. 6, the shell is shown at 18 and is provided with aninsulating washer 19 which carries contacts 20 and 21. A metal stem 22slides through the washer 19 and is adapted to engage the contacts 20and 21 when said stem is pressed inwardly. The stem carries a cup 23 inwhich the ball, sphere or push button 24 is firmly seated. A spring 25,similar to the spring 6 bears on the cup 23 and on the washer 19and'holds the push. button or ball 24 in raised position and the stem'22 out of engagement with the contacts 20 and 21; When the pushbutton24 is pressed inwardly, this movement is resisted by the spring 25which then spreads out or expands, as the cup 23 enters it, the stem 22meanwhile engaging the contacts 20, 21 and completing the circuit. 'Onthe release of the push button 24, the spring 25 returns the parts tonormal position.

My invention maybe carried out in modiosed portion or porfied forms inother switches or push buttons for electric lights, magnets, sparkplugs, andother switches and I do not limit myself to the details ofconstruction hereinbefore specified.

In Figs. 8 and 9, the tubular metal contact 26 having binding post 27 isfixed to base 1 and loosely encircles the expansible contact 6 which, inturn, loosely encircles c entralpost 28 fixed to base 1 and has an arm29 extending through slot 30 and provided with binding post 31. sphere 7is'pressed, all points of contact 6 engage contact 26. 9

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an electricpush button or switch, the combination with electricalcontact means, of a tubular expansible and contractible spring composedof a plurality of coils, a cap, and a spherical push button adapted tofit within and spread said spring to cause completion of the circuit,said spring being adapted to retract the push button and hold 'itagainst the cap, said cap serving to retain the. push button in theswitch;

2. In an electric push button or switch,

the combination with a contact or terminal,

of a tubular expansible and contractible contact spring comprising aplurality of coils, said spring being adapted, when expanded to engagethe electrical contact, and a spherical push button adapted to fitwithin and spread said contact spring by a wedging action when pressedinwardly 1n.

relation thereto, said contact spring serving to normally retract thepush button and hold it against the cap, said cap. serving to retain thepush buttonin the switch.

3. In an electric push button or switch, the combination with relativelymovable normally separated contacts or terminals, of a cap, a sphericalpush button held in position by the cap and adapted, on depression,

to cause engagement of said contacts or terminals, and a movable lockingdevice normally free of said push button and adapted to be disposed overthe outer face of the push button and in engagement therewith to holdsaid pushbutton in depressed position, with the contacts engaged.

7 In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my 4 signature.

- 'LENOR-A H. JONES.

